


What Mothers Know

by ThiefOfADHD



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anorexia, Bulimia, Eating Disorders, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hunk (Voltron) Has Two Moms, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Has an Eating Disorder, Lance (Voltron) is Anorexic, Minor Vent Fic, Please Don't Hate Me, Self-Hatred, Suicide Attempt, The Author Regrets Nothing, The last six characters are really there because they're present but minor roles, This was honestly two separate langst ideas that ended up being the same fucking story, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 06:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17575652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThiefOfADHD/pseuds/ThiefOfADHD
Summary: It… it hurt that he was hanging out at friends houses more and more lately. Eating less at home.She was worried, but…Maybe it was nothing,right?





	What Mothers Know

**Author's Note:**

> In case you didn't read the tags
> 
> WARNING: This story contains anorexia, bulimia, self harm, and a suicide attempt. Please stay safe if any of the topics trigger you in any way whatever.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this story.

“I'll eat at Keith’s.”

Valeria watched her son, her youngest child, as he smiled at the decline of dinner. He's done this every time he went over to a friends.

_‘Pidge invited me to dinner’_

_‘Hunk always has snacks’_

_‘Coran will feed me anyways, don't want to overeat and pass out on Allura’s couch’_

It… it hurt that he was hanging out at friends houses more and more lately. Eating less at home. At least he was drinking more water.

“Val.” Matías rubbed her arm, his naturally slim body looked more plump after looking at her son. She leaned into him gently, kissing his cheek as she got the rest of dinner on the table for everyone. She was worried, but…

Maybe it was nothing, _right?_

* * *

“Leandro! ¡La cena está lista!” Valeria called, knocking on his bedroom door. When there was no answer, she tried the door-

Lance quickly hid under his blanket, jacket sleeves being pulled up. “Lo siento, mamá, estaba dormida.” He mumbled, but… she didn't believe him. He looks like he hadn't slept in so long.

“You coming down to eat?” She asked. He didn't answer right away.

“Yeah. I'll be down in a minute.” He smiled, it felt forced, exhausted.

“Alright.” She left and shut the door quietly.

Dinner terrified her, watching Lance pick at his food and not eat as much as he used to. When he did eat, it was when he saw her looking.

He didn't finish the whole thing before he asked to be dismissed. Marco took the rest of it instead, eager to eat.

~~~

She'd gotten up to go grab something, stopping when she heard gagging, cursing, and quiet sobs coming from the bathroom.

She froze, gripping her shirt fearfully. He wasn't- _no he must be sick._

He's sick either way, but she can at least try and pretend that it's just a stomach flu. He's… there's no way he could have something that drastically bad.

* * *

“Colleen, thank you for coming on such short notice.” Valeria smiled at her. She had to talk to someone, and she figured another mother would help. Sure, she could've asked Augusta and Alea to come, or even Takashi or Coran, but… Colleen was the first she'd met of the adults.

And she was a great psychiatrist.

“It's no problem.” She smiled. Valeria led her into the kitchen, getting her some coffee. “You said that you had some concerns with Lance?” She asked.

“Yes. I figured I'd talk to you as he's a friend of Katie’s, and you'd have more information on this than the others.” She handed her a mug, smiling.

“What is it?” Colleen sat down, looking at Valeria as she sat with her.

“I've noticed Leandro, Lance, hasn't been eating a lot lately. Does he eat over there when he's over?”

“No, he usually says he ate before he left.” She said. “He's not, is he?”

“No, he's not eating here, either.” She looked down, fear filling her. 

“Why don't you call and see if any of the other parents or guardians can come over?” Colleen suggested.

~~~

“Lance rarely eats at our house anymore.” Augusta admitted, Alea squeezing her wife's hand. “Hunk has to force him to eat if he's staying the night, and even then he won't even eat half of what's given to him.”

“It's the same over at our house.” Shiro added. “It worried me a lot, because it seemed like Keith was getting into the same habit, but he also isn't one to make his friends feel left out.” 

“Allura always takes him out to coffee shops, but he isn't eating otherwise.” Coran fiddled with his mustache worriedly.

“This is a very serious problem, Valeria.” Colleen told her. “You need to talk to him.”

“I am.” She admitted. “I'll talk to him tonight.”

* * *

When she'd gotten the mail, she’d found a small package for Lance, quietly leaving it in his bedroom for him to get.

She stopped, looking around quietly before opening his nightstand drawer. She shouldn't snoop around, but-

She froze, pulling out a thin boxcutter blade. She trembled, shutting the drawer as she felt tears fall down her face.

God… he wasn't just starving himself- but-

~~_he hid under his blanket, in a jacket with the sleeves pulled up_ ~~

_~~To hide the~~ _ _~~bleeding~~ _

_He never showed his arms anymore._

Why didn't she notice? Why hasn't she noticed her son's troubles?! God, she must've been a horrible parent.

“Val?” Matías asked, catching her attention. He'd just come home from work. The children would be back soon, too.

“We're talking to Lance after dinner.”

* * *

When Lance came home, however, things felt different.

He was smiling, he was helping with dinner. She'd never seen such a lightness from him.

But… she couldn't help but see how thin his cold hands were, how his cheekbones were becoming visible, his jawline looked like he was sucking in his throat.

“Dinner won't be ready for another two hours.” She admitted. “I'll have to call all of your siblings home.”

Lance nodded, and that when she noticed the gorgeous blue eyes of his, trying to fight back tears.

“Corazón? What wrong?” She asked, suddenly feeling the tight hug. She returned it-

She could feel his ribs underneath of his heavy jacket.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just… I miss spending time with you.” He mumbled. “Te amo mamá.”

“Yo también te amo, mi bebé.” She whispered, kissing his head. When he pulled away, he was fighting back tears.

“You going to your room?” She asked, only getting a nod as he left the room.

~~~

She'd been cleaning up the kitchen, trying to get the place cleaned up for dinner-

_**Thud** _

She stopped, looking up towards the stairwell-

"SORRY! I DROPPED SOMETHING!" Matías called loudly, her anxiety dropping.

"Alright!" She called happily. Rachel, Marco, Luis, and Veronica were coming home soon.

* * *

"LEANDRO! ¡LA CENA ESTÁ LISTA!" She called, not even fifteen minutes later.

Like usual, he didn't come down. But... this time, all she felt was fear and dread with every step she took. Her husband was setting the table, the kids were on their way home-

“Lance?” Valeria called, turning the knob and pushing the door open. “Swee-”

Dangling feet and a slumped head was what was first seen, disregarding the desk chair that had been kicked over altogether as she screamed. Tears violently fell down her paling skin as she heard Matías, running up the stairs and to her.

“Val, what's wrong?” He asked, she couldn't answer, tears falling violently as he moved to the cracked open door.

His movements were faster, different. Whereas she was frozen, tears falling as she tried to piece together anything resembling an answer as to why, her husband was trying to prop their son back up, loosen the noose around his neck. From the hall light flooding the bedroom only illuminated by a lamp, she thought she saw the glistening of tears on her baby boy’s cheeks.

_~~Or was that her husband's?~~ _

There was a choked gasp of air, yet Lance remained unconscious. Matías laid him on the ground, feeling for a pulse and checking for any signs of life, if the choked gasp was real or just from an opening.

“C'mon, dammit! Breathe!” He strained. Valeria trembled, moving to get the phone-

“Veronica-”

“Mami, what's wrong?” She asked, moving to the bedroom before tensing up and moving away. “I'll call for an ambulance.” She blurted, getting her cell phone out. “I'll let Rachel, Marco, and Luis all know. You go ahead and call abuelo and abuelita.” 

Valeria nodded, moving and getting on the phone quietly. She felt herself shake, tears falling as she dialed her father’s phone number.

* * *

“Lance?”

He refused to speak, refused to eat. He'd done it too early and he'd been caught. He should've waited until he knew they were all asleep. He should've waited until everyone was unable to hear the chair fall, to run to his aide.

The doctors had detected that he had several bodily issues. Weakened lungs, esophagus nearly demolished, heart weak and stomach shrunken.

He was malnourished, he was bulimic, he was a high suicide risk. He'd be stuck in a hospital during recovery for months - he might never fully recover physically.

“Lance, sweetie.” Valeria whispered, taking his cold, thin, frozen over hands. “Baby, it'll get better.” She promised. He turned to look at her, seeing how she blocked his arms from her view. How she avoided the cuts on his arms and the scars of ones that we healing. 

“I know, mami.” He sighed, moving to rest on her as he let her hold him. He felt frail now, breakable like glass.

Maybe he was, maybe he'd already broken.

_So, he might as well pick up the pieces._


End file.
